District 9, the original sci-fi doc-style drama by Neill Blomkamp, produced by Peter Jackson, has been building a strong following online ever since it first started to debut marketing material. The film takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa, where an alien ship arrived in the eighties loaded with over a million aimless and malnourished insect-like aliens whom humans label with the derogatory term “prawn.”
Surprisingly, District 9 is Neill Blomkamp’s first ever directorial role of a full-length feature film. Its star, Sharlto Copley is also making his acting debut, emphasizing how much faith Peter Jackson put in his chosen director and he was right to do so.
To me, District 9 was going to be the sleeper hit of the year and it easily looked like it was going to be one of my top films of the summer. I had high expectations going in, especially after being treated to a large chunk of footage at San Diego Comic-Con a few weeks back. I would say that it certainly met my high expectations and it’s something I want to see again to take it all in.
While I was worried at the beginning of the film with how the movie introduced the history of the aliens’ arrival, most of the interview and documentary segments felt real and believable, helping to set the tone of the story. I had a little trouble buying into the main character, Sharlto Copley’s Wikus Van De Merwe, in his early scenes as he came off a little too goofy, but once the main plot quickly kicked in and his character got infected with the “fluid,” the movie picked up and was flawless for me from then on.
Throughout the story, we follow Wikus on his journey of unfortunate experiences. He’s not always easy to side with because of some selfish decisions he makes out of desperation to try to save his own life and his relationship with his wife – decisions that affect others, notably the lead Prawn character, Christopher Johnson. However, we can empathize with him because of what’s happening to him and the fact that everyone is after him to harvest his body.
The cast of unrecognizable actors did a superb job of making the film feel real. My only minor gripe is with the villainous head soldier, Koobus Venter, who was a little over-the-top as the gun-loving trigger-happy alien-hating stereotype. That being said, he had his role and it played out well for the story (with a nice finish).
The best part of the film is by far the final act when the protagonist, Wikus, finally makes his choice and acts for the right (and unselfish) reasons and we are treated to an awesome action sequence involving him manning a Prawn Mechwarrior-like robot and fighting the MNU to protect his alien friend, Christopher, as he attempts to get back to the mothership hovering above in order to get help and eventually save the Prawn stuck on Earth.
This film is entirely original and it provides an enjoyable unique experience. For District 9’s low budget, it is shocking how the special effects look so amazing. It really is a testament to smart filmmaking. The movie is able to be both intense and emotional while giving viewers lots of great action - If you’re a regular moviegoer or a fan of science fiction, this is a must-see which will spread quickly through positive word-of-mouth.
The movie ends in a great way and it sets itself up perfectly for a sequel. Hopefully this movie spawns future installments that Neill Blomkamp would be willing to work on. I expect to see him lining up some solid jobs in the future after this incredible addition to his resume. It certainly makes you wonder what he and Peter Jackson could have done with the Halo film.
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